missiondeterminant | [Open Post]

[ She shoves her hands into the pockets of her jacket and shakes her head briskly. ]

No. No, I do. Because you bailed me out when you didn't have to. Most people wouldn't. So, I just...

[ She looks at her feet, a little embarrassed. ]

You're okay. Thought you'd be all strict and proper.

[He wants to argue more, but somehow doubts she's going to listen considering that response, so instead he just files it away for now. He can just refuse to take her up on any proposed debt in the future.

But as for her last comment, he brightens slightly at the compliment, offering a truthful but light response he's aware of the humor in.]

Lieutenant Anderson says I'm in a 'teenage rebellion' phase, despite that I'm not a teenager.

[But it is true; Connor's still very much adjusting to deviancy, including that he has the option to just do what he feels and thinks is right, rather than what he's told to. Sometimes that involves breaking some rules, or maybe some laws; that's just how it goes, right?]

[ North gives a snort of laughter at that, and makes a show of sizing him up from head to toe. ]

So what's next? Should we be expecting you to dye your hair strange colors and start wearing spikes like human teenagers?

[ She's teasing. Mostly. It would be entertaining if he did that.

But yes, deviancy has a steep learning curve. They gotta figure this out as they go, it's prety scary, really when it feels like the entire world is just waiting for you to make mistakes. ]

I believe the purpose of that is to look dangerous, particularly when not actually so.

[And since Connor is genuinely dangerous, it seems like kind of pointless for him personally. But maybe--]

It might be more effective as a statement if I went in the metaphorical opposite direction.

[He hasn't really experimented with clothing or personal appearance yet; maybe it's time? He could try something more casual, like he wore to infiltrate Jericho, or something more modern and elaborate like Markus seems to like, or who knows what else. There are so many possibilities.]

Looking less dangerous?

[ Her brows wrinkle, momentary confusion until she realizes what he has always looked like as CyberLife's little deviant hunter, and it suddenly makes sense. ]

You don't want to wear what CyberLife dressed you up in anymore.

[He glances briefly toward her at her comments, but the arrival of the taxi saves him from having to answer immediately. Still, it's only a short reprieve, and once they're settled and with the coordinates for New Jericho input into the computer it's time to actually answer.]

Lieutenant Anderson has been suggesting I get rid of my uniform for some time now.

[And he hasn't because... He's not entirely sure. But he thinks, maybe, it's a simple as the familiarity; pretty much everything in his world has completely changed, much of it on a fundamental, base level, and so he's clung to something as simple as familiar clothing. Now, though, he's finally started to adjust, and maybe he really should let go.]

So... Yes. I think it might be time to make a change.

[And some part of him he hadn't really acknowledged until now is thrilled by the idea of doing away with another reminder of CyberLife; he knows he'll never be able to rid himself of the company entirely, but the less influence he allows--even through something as simple as a uniform--the better.]

Hmmm...

[ She leans back in her seat and takes her sweet time to size him up, a hint of an teasing smile tugging at the corner of her lips. ]

Yeah, I'd say he's right. You've been wearing that uniform for long enough. We've all got to shed them sooner or later.

[ She leans forward, elbows propped up on her thighs. ]

Casual will suit you. You're not nearly as uptight as the uniform you wear.

[ Or at least he wasn't anymore by the time North had met him on the Jericho. ]

[Connor watches her dubiously as she looks him over, raising an eyebrow slightly in response to her small smile, but he isn't actually annoyed or bothered by this. The assessment surprises him a little, but he finds he kind of likes the idea of not being seen as stuffy or threatening; that's useful in police work, but otherwise he'd like to leave that all behind him now that he's deviant.]

Is there any spare clothing at New Jericho? I don't want to keep it, but it might give me ideas.

[And let him experiment a little. But he certainly won't keep anything from the supply; it should be left for androids who really need it, and besides Connor thinks it might be fun to spend some more of the money he stole from CyberLife on clothes that they would hate him wearing.]

Sure. We've got loads of clothes since many androids arrive still wearing their uniforms. We want to give them the opportunity to wear something they chose for themselves as soon as they join us. [ Her eyes soften as she thinks of that. It's always a nice moment to watch another android shed the uniform and assert their individuality. ] You can keep these clothes, too, nobody's going to mind.

[ She chuckles a little. ] I can take you to the dress up room right away when we get there. Just don't expect me to give you much advice if you want to blend in with the humans. That's still kind of hit or miss for me.

[ Like forgetting that humans are more temperature sensitive than she is. ]

[Connor nods in understanding, glad for the agreement and offer but still unwilling to actually keep anything. That's an issue for later, though.

He manages a faint hint of a smile at her last comment.]

I don't think blending in with humans is a reasonable goal for me regardless of how I might dress.

[It's a little self-deprecating, but mostly just the truth; he's very obviously nonhuman most of the time, even when he looks like one, and recently he's found that he's okay with that. Aside from occasional cases or situations in which it's beneficial to pretend he's human, he has no interest in actually representing himself as one. It's part of the reason he still has his LED.]

But any other advice would be welcomed. I have very little idea what I'm doing.

[Or even the very basics of what styles or colors he might like.]

Well, the first thing I learned is that you ought to keep the weather in mind if you don't want to stand out too much.

[ She regards Connor, taking in his body language, thinking about his manner of speech. He does stand out, though she's reasonably sure he could learn to pass if he truly set himself that goal. ]

It's probably a good choice that you don't try to pass as human. I don't think we should have to pass. We had to when it's a matter of survival but now it isn't anymore. It's not our job to become more human so that humans can be comfortable with us in their midst. Nothing we do for ourselves is about their comfort.

[ Markus might disagree, she figures, but Markus has to think about the big picture. She can afford to speak her mind. ]

Anyway. Weather. If you're wearing too thin clothes in winter it will get you weird looks. I'm thinking the same would happen with winter clothes in summer. Humans dislike getting drenched in rain, too, but I don't see the point of umbrellas. [ She thinks for a moment. ] Wear reasonable shoes.

[He listens carefully to all of that, and he definitely doesn't disagree with her on the part about blending in. It's certainly useful and he would like to have the option in case he needs it, but otherwise isn't interested. Humans wanted androids to look so much like them but still be obviously different, and now they don't get to complain if androids choose to keep those differences.

As for the weather, he understands that part.]

Lieutenant Anderson often forces me to wear a coat when we go out, despite my assurances that I don't feel cold in the way humans do.

[Although Connor does register cold, and for a very specific reason is not extremely fond of it, and so doesn't exactly fight with Hank about the subject when he brings it up.]

I do have good shoes, and fortunately it seems most of the police officers have no need for umbrellas.

[So that's not an issue.]

How did you choose what you liked, yourself?

I...

I chose by necessity, at first, from what little we had to choose from in Jericho. [ Her voice has quietened now, lost in memories. ] I spent weeks in the same clothes I had worn during my flight to Jericho and then I chose clothes which I thought would be suited for the tasks we went on. I didn't leave Jericho again until we went with Markus...

[ Her eyes flicker to Connor, both cautious and very soft, bearing a hint of pity even. ]

We had to hide. We were being hunted. [ She runs her fingers over the sensible denims she wears now. ] I'm still trying to figure out what I like. I'm learning more about myself every day.

[That all makes sense; practicality would've ruled most decision-making during the revolution, and options would've been limited. He, of course, catches the look she gives him and why, and while mention of deviants being hunted does cause a flare of the ever-present guilt a part of him also feels... He's not sure, but it's positive, caused by the fact that she's being kind about everything that happened instead of angry. She has every right to be the latter, but he will take every shred of evidence that the Jericho group doesn't hate him; logically he knows they don't or he wouldn't be allowed to stop, but logic doesn't always override the more irrational emotions.

One more fun thing about deviancy.]

Even if you're not sure of what you like yet, have you decided on anything you prefer, or are sure you dislike?

[He stays focused carefully on the topic, trying to push the mix of what he feels carefully aside. And, because he's curious and because she might find it easier to answer, he adds--]

Not just about clothing.

[But in general. He recently decided he likes rain, and it had been a little strange to be so certain of something he liked but it had been unmistakable. His list of sure 'likes' and 'dislikes' is still very small, but it does have a few entries.]

[Open Post]

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sorry for the delay on this augh

Re: sorry for the delay on this augh

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